According to Club for Growth’s Chris Chocola, “Justin Amash has a lifetime 100% on the Club for Growth Scorecard, which means that no one fights harder for economic freedom and pro-growth policies in Washington,” but that doesn’t seem to resonate with some Michigan conservatives who are now backing Ellis against Amash. To them, picking a fight against ObamaCare was partially responsible for “the chaos that led the nation to the edge of default.”

To a certain degree, some conservatives fear, standing on principle makes for bad politics.

Amash, who is one of the most transparent and principled conservatives in the House of Representatives, was among the Republicans who persuaded Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to defend their stance on ObamaCare.

The fight to cut spending and attempt to pressure lawmakers to make sure that the debt ceiling is not raised is consistent with the principles of conservatives who oppose high taxes and the government’s alliance with industry leaders. These alliances often promote protectionist policies that do more harm than good by making it hard for smaller, less-connected businesses to compete, creating disincentives for entrepreneurs to launch their product ideas, promote solutions and create jobs.

According to the Club for Growth, “Justin has proven time and time again that he will do everything he can to represent Michigan taxpayers and defend the constitution, even if that bothers the big spenders in the both parties.”

Rep. Amash has gained much media attention and the respect from both liberals and conservatives who truly admire a politician who does not belong in the political class. It’s easy to see why well-connected industry leaders would fear his influence; after all, industry leaders are the ones who might lose by having lawmakers standing on principles rather than playing politics with people’s lives.